Car-coupung



(No Model.)

T. PARMER.

OAR COUPLING. No. 364,914. Patented June .14, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS FARMER, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,914, dated June 14,1887.

Application filed March 152 1887. Serial No. 230,728. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS FARMER, residing at Oil City, in the countyof Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new anduseful OarOoupling; and-I do .hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention.

Thisinvention relates to certain improve ments in car-couplers; and ithas for its ob- .o jects to so construct the coupling mechanism anddevices that the same can be operated from. eitherside of the car,thereby avoiding the ne cessity of entering between the contiguous endsof the cars composing the train, thus obviating all danger of injury tothe train-hands, and enabling the cars of the train to be readilyuncoupled in case of accidents, so as to prevent the spread of firethroughout the train in case one or more of the cars should becomeignited, as more fully hereinafter specified. These objects I attain bythe means illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1represents a side elevation of the contiguous portions of two cars of atrain, showing my coupling mechanism; Fig. 2, a detached perspectiveview of a coupling-lever forming part of my invention; and Fig. 3, adetached perspective view of one end'of a car, showing thecoupling-lever and spring for holding the same when elevated.

The letter A indicates two contiguous cars of any description, and B thedraw-bars thereof, which are secured underneath the cars in anyconvenient manner. The projecting ends of the draw-barsare bentupwardly, and are beveled on their outer faces, so as to cause the loopof the coupling-lever to ride up and over the ends of the sameautomatically when the cars come together, in case the loop of saidcoupling-lever should be down, thus preventing injury to the same whenthe cars abut.

The letter 0 indicates the coupling-levers. These consist each of ametallic rod bent centrally, so as to form a loop, D, and at right an-'gles at each end, so as to form handles E, by

which it may be operated from either side of the car. The lever isfulcrnmed in journal-bear ings F, secured to the transverse sills orbeams G at the ends of the car in such manner that the loop may beraised to clear the hooks of the draw-bars or engage the same at will.

The letter H indicates acurved spring. Two of these are secured to eachend of the car on opposite sides, in such position as to engage the bentoutward ends of the coupling-levers, and hold the same,whether thrown upor down, to prevent accidental shifting. The loop of the levers is madeheavy enough to overbal' ance the full weight of the same, so that whendown over the hook its gravity will tend to keep it in position.

The letter I indicates two pivoted links secured to the respectivedraw-heads of the car. These are intended to be used in coupling with acar having an ordinary coupling-head, instead of the loose linksheretofore employed.

As constructed it will be seen that the coup ling devices may beoperated entirely from the sides of the car without any necessity ofworking between the same, and that by means of the curved spring thecoupling-lever may be held either up or down, thus avoiding the dangerattendant upon the ordinary methods of coupling. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

The combination, with the draw-heads of the cars having hookedextremities, of' the coupling-levers journaled in bearings secured tothe ends of the cars, the said levers being provided with bent arms attheir projecting ends, and the curved springs, whereby the levers areheld in upright position, substantially as specified.

' THOMAS FARMER.

WVitnesses:

It. B. MAGEE, J. H. lVIAGEE.

